Sisters in cinema african american women feature film. The 35 best black movie directors, producers, and screenplay writers 1. The 25 best films directed by female film directors. With black women helming projects on tv, film and streaming platforms, the excuse has expired. A resource for and about african american women filmmakers. Africanamerican women in the silent film industry women. Writerdirector gina princebythewood broke into the mainstream after directing the 2000 romantic drama love and. The chance to see work by africancanadian female filmmakers is rare. According to the research carried out back in 2015 only 5. Lifes greatest miracle, which may be the oldest surviving feature by a black american woman.
This film put him on the map of bigname directors, and he plans to release his next film, us, in 2019. A film series honors black women directors the new york. While the recent wave of interest in africanamerican directorproducer oscar micheaux and the race movie makers of his time has helped to confirm and affirm. Son of danny singleton, a mortgage broker, and sheila ward. Black female directors have always been the most unnoticeable ones. The trailblazing linchpin of a sprawling africanamerican family of comic entertainers, it was multitalented writerdirectorproducer keenen ivory wayans born june 8, 1958, in new york city who was the first to achieve national prominence by successfully creating, launching and hosting a. A guide to essential, underrated, and flatout extraordinary films. In a nod to the new and welcome reality, artinfo has created a list of 12 american female directors who are infusing broadway and offbroadway with a bracing new vitality. Spike lee was born shelton jackson lee on march 20, 1957, in atlanta, georgia. Black women filmmakers face both race and gender disparity in their field even in 2019 despite challenges, however, notable contributions have been made throughout the history of film by black women who have broken through the celluloid ceiling to become pioneers in filmmaking. Africanamerican women in the silent film industry women film. Julie dash nyc native and ucla alum julie dash may be bestknown for her first feature, daughters of the dust 1991, funded in part by nbpc. Celebrating black women directors with ties to sundance institute. Today, however, female directors are shaping the stage like never before, their contributions defining some of theaters most acclaimed and highprofile productions.
If you got kathryn bigelow, ava duvernay, sofia coppola, mira nair, and ana lily amirpour. Cabral is a documentary filmmaker who codirected the. The harsh reality is no one african american has the power to greenlight a film. New film series featuring african american female directors opens in milwaukee the oriental theater celebrates black history month by showing films directed by african american women about african. The film was a huge success, grossing the fifth largest opening weekend boxoffice results of alltime. But you should also consider this list an argument for a broader notion of what constitutes a great filmafter all, many of the movies that have shaped black culture and the broader. The best 67 female film directors you need to know about.
Carter was the first africanamerican to join the american cinema editors honorary society, and he was also the recipient of a bafta award for his work editing the 1971 milos forman film, taking off. But this saturday in toronto, harbourfront centres kuumba festival is presenting a showcase of short films by karen chapman. The aasc grew out of the dgas ethnic minority committee, formed in 1980, largely due to the efforts of wendell j. There are so many black women in hollywood to thank, including black.
Only 4% of all directors across the 1,100 top films from 2007 to 2017 were female, a ratio of 22 males to every one female director. Sisters in cinema, a 57minute documentary offers a historical overview of the lives and the films of african american women feature film directors from the early part of the century to today. She also made her name directing augustine, disorder, and the yet to be released proxima while working primarily in france, winocour has recently made the shift to american film, and seems to be next in line for bigger budgets. Black female directors in hollywood are few, yet even the. Latin american female directors movies list on mubi. Ava duvernay she was the first africanamerican woman to receive a golden globe nomination for directing, the first africanamerican woman to have a film nominated for best picture at the oscars, and the first africanamerican woman to win. Even though most of them contribute to the film industry it is apparent that the list of black female directors in hollywood is very small. Black panther elevates superhero cinema by telling a complete story with fully actualized characters. Tressie souders, however, defied these cultural barriers by becoming the first africanamerican female director in recorded history. History of the african american steering committee. Every black director nominated for an oscar, from john singleton to spike lee photos. Most popular african american movies and tv shows imdb. This edition of the best movies youve never seen takes a look at the best movies from black directors youve never seen in honor of black history month.
Each day of black history month and womens history month, we highlighted films by black women directors. French west indies director euzhan palcy became the first black female director to have a film produced by a major hollywood. While africanamerican film directors like antoine fuqua and f. Black director and the first black female director to make a movie that. About the african american steering committee dga, homepage. Duvernay has become the face of female directors of color and has reaped. Studies show that half of all film school graduates are women, yet only 5% of them are working hollywood directors. Every black director nominated for an oscar, from john. It went on to become the highest grossing film in history directed by an african american. The results reveal that for female, black and asian directors, the doors to hollywood remain mostly closed.
Recent reports reveal that female writers and directors remain woefully underemployed in the film and tv business. An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the african american maids point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. Several african american female film directors are presented in this video. Wikimedia commons has media related to female film directors from the united states this is a nondiffusing subcategory of category.
That said, there are some black women who have managed to crack the film industry and become directors whether thats through the big. Wikimedia commons has media related to african american film directors. African american women feature film directors sisters in cinema. Franklin, the first africanamerican member of the dga, and fellow africanamerican directors ivan dixon, william crain and reuben watt. They dont want you to cheer them on because they happen to like wearing dresses. With a cast comprised almost entirely of african american women, daughters was the first film by a black female. There are prejudice and difficulties akin to them, common stories of declined financing help and even production interruptions due to certain chosen. But the current state of the film business makes it challenging for the average. Sophia nahli allison is an experimental documentary filmmaker. Twelve female directors that are reshaping american. African american women feature film directors, compiled by. Gary gray are directing films that encompass many different genres including action and suspense, black female directors like kasi. Madamenoire is a sophisticated lifestyle publication that gives africanamerican women the latest in.
Winocour wrote the 2015 smash, mustang, and immediately parlayed that into a directing career. African american directors to watch in 2020 and beyond. In the first decades of the twentieth century, five africanamerican women filmmakers helped to establish the us cinema industry and to better the representation of africanamericans on film. Her 20 movie farah goes bang was a similarly femaleled film about a young iranian woman hoping to lose her virginity while roadtripping with.
The best movies from black directors youve never seen film. On this years listing, there are 308 african americans sitting on the boards of 316 companies63% of the indexversus 292 african americans as corporate directors of 303 companies61%. Africanamerican female directors are creating new work all the time. Editors are rarely as celebrated and respected as directors and actors hence the academys shortlived decision to write them out of the. During the silent film era, it was incredibly rare for an africanamerican of either gender to have any sort of career in the industry. Meet 22 black directors who answered hollywoods call. Ava duvernay she was the first african american woman to receive a golden globe nomination for directing, the first african american woman to have a film nominated for best picture at the oscars, and the first african american woman to win. The following year, she made history again when she became the first. Watching a black womans story on the big screen is always a beautiful moment. The analysis also focuses on women in executive and leadership ranks at major media companies. So, to honor female filmmakers everywhere who are slowly but surely carving out a name for themselves in the film world, heres a list of the top 10 female directors who refuse to believe hollywood is a mans world. It includes film directors that can also be found in the parent category, or in diffusing subcategories of the parent.
Black women directors indexes the work of black women filmmakers around the globe. With a cast comprised almost entirely of african american women, daughters was the first film by a black female director to receive u. Black women took home top prizes at the 2020 sundance film festival. Sisters in cinema, a 57minute documentary offers a historical overview of the lives and the films of african american women feature film directors from the early. The following individuals are african american film directors. Black women directors is an evergrowing digital library that celebrates black women and nonbinary filmmakers around the globe. This years programming featured a number of black female artists across. This is not only a problem in hollywood but everywhere in the world. This film from the noted photographer and africanamerican filmmaking pioneer gordon parks earned comparisons to to kill a mockingbird with his.